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The Idea Friendly Guide: Practical, Immediate Steps to Break Free from Old-Way Thinking and Transform Your Community’s Future
You've been told you need to slow down. To hold more meetings, form another committee, write a better plan.
People say, “We tried that once. That's not how we do things here. And what about liability??”
But you’re about to discover a different way. A way to transform your community by taking small steps, starting now, without waiting for permission, support or perfect conditions.
You don’t need to struggle with difficult people. Those are not your people.
You don’t need permission from resistant leaders. 99% of the best things you can do don’t require anyone’s permission.
You don’t need to fix your community. It’s not broken. People are using broken methods because that’s how they’ve been taught for years.
The new way is the Idea Friendly Method.
Gather Your Crowd with an idea that entices others to join you.
Build Connections to turn your crowd into a powerful network.
Take Small Steps to accomplish your vision together.
It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.
This framework helps you break free from the "slow down and ask more questions" trap that keeps good ideas from happening. Not through grand plans and big committees. Through people taking action in this new way, together.
Communities like yours are doing this.
This is how Webster City, Iowa, recovered from losing a major manufacturer, filled 10 empty buildings and became their own heroes to save their movie theater. It's how communities across the USA, Canada, and globally are nurturing new businesses, expanding libraries, and beautifying their towns.
If you genuinely care about your community and are ready to stop waiting for permission to improve it, this book is your easier way forward.
In this short read, you'll
The complete Idea Friendly Method with real-world examples from communities like yoursHow to gather people around ideas that create momentum, not meetingsWhy a crowd can show up to an event, but only a network can make things happenPractical steps for working with skeptics and resistant leadersHow to transform organizations from the inside using these behaviorsWays to collaborate across groups without getting bogged downThe mindset shifts that make this stick as lasting changeYou won't be overwhelmed with an endless sea of "you should do it this way" advice. You'll be having a conversation with someone who has lived this work in communities from 30 to 30,000 people.
"Becky McCray's Idea Friendly Guide is one of those rare reads that makes you want to jump off the couch and get to work. With her powerful Idea Friendly Method—gather your crowd, build connections, take small steps—she offers practical and energizing advice about sparking meaningful change in your community. Bottom You don't have to ask for permission; you can get out there and start creating the place you want to live right now. I love this book!"
—Melody Warnick, author of This Is Where You Belong
"The Idea Friendly Guide offers a refreshing take on grassroots community development with practical examples and guidance for those who want to create positive change in their communities.
People say, “We tried that once. That's not how we do things here. And what about liability??”
But you’re about to discover a different way. A way to transform your community by taking small steps, starting now, without waiting for permission, support or perfect conditions.
You don’t need to struggle with difficult people. Those are not your people.
You don’t need permission from resistant leaders. 99% of the best things you can do don’t require anyone’s permission.
You don’t need to fix your community. It’s not broken. People are using broken methods because that’s how they’ve been taught for years.
The new way is the Idea Friendly Method.
Gather Your Crowd with an idea that entices others to join you.
Build Connections to turn your crowd into a powerful network.
Take Small Steps to accomplish your vision together.
It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.
This framework helps you break free from the "slow down and ask more questions" trap that keeps good ideas from happening. Not through grand plans and big committees. Through people taking action in this new way, together.
Communities like yours are doing this.
This is how Webster City, Iowa, recovered from losing a major manufacturer, filled 10 empty buildings and became their own heroes to save their movie theater. It's how communities across the USA, Canada, and globally are nurturing new businesses, expanding libraries, and beautifying their towns.
If you genuinely care about your community and are ready to stop waiting for permission to improve it, this book is your easier way forward.
In this short read, you'll
The complete Idea Friendly Method with real-world examples from communities like yoursHow to gather people around ideas that create momentum, not meetingsWhy a crowd can show up to an event, but only a network can make things happenPractical steps for working with skeptics and resistant leadersHow to transform organizations from the inside using these behaviorsWays to collaborate across groups without getting bogged downThe mindset shifts that make this stick as lasting changeYou won't be overwhelmed with an endless sea of "you should do it this way" advice. You'll be having a conversation with someone who has lived this work in communities from 30 to 30,000 people.
"Becky McCray's Idea Friendly Guide is one of those rare reads that makes you want to jump off the couch and get to work. With her powerful Idea Friendly Method—gather your crowd, build connections, take small steps—she offers practical and energizing advice about sparking meaningful change in your community. Bottom You don't have to ask for permission; you can get out there and start creating the place you want to live right now. I love this book!"
—Melody Warnick, author of This Is Where You Belong
"The Idea Friendly Guide offers a refreshing take on grassroots community development with practical examples and guidance for those who want to create positive change in their communities.
136 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2025
About the author
Becky McCray
2 booksBecky McCray doesn't just talk about rural issues, she lives them. Co-founder of SaveYour.Town, cattle rancher, she lives in a community of 30 people in northwest Oklahoma.
Her hands-on small-town experience as a retail business owner, city administrator, nonprofit executive, and community volunteer gives her unique insight into what actually works in rural communities. She created the influential Survey of Rural Challenges, published biennially since 2015 and used by agencies, educators, and businesses to better understand and serve rural people. Her first book, Small Town Rules, won a Small Business Book Award and was named one of the best small business books of 2012 by the National Federation of Independent Business.
McCray has worked with hundreds of small communities across North America, helping them take action without waiting for permission or perfect conditions. She's presented at Main Street America, the International Economic Development Council, and TEDx, among more than 300 rural and small-town events in the US and Canada.
Her goal is to deliver practical steps you can put into action right away to shape the future of your town.
Her hands-on small-town experience as a retail business owner, city administrator, nonprofit executive, and community volunteer gives her unique insight into what actually works in rural communities. She created the influential Survey of Rural Challenges, published biennially since 2015 and used by agencies, educators, and businesses to better understand and serve rural people. Her first book, Small Town Rules, won a Small Business Book Award and was named one of the best small business books of 2012 by the National Federation of Independent Business.
McCray has worked with hundreds of small communities across North America, helping them take action without waiting for permission or perfect conditions. She's presented at Main Street America, the International Economic Development Council, and TEDx, among more than 300 rural and small-town events in the US and Canada.
Her goal is to deliver practical steps you can put into action right away to shape the future of your town.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 16, 2025
So much common-sense, straightforward language in one place, wrapped around so many actual examples of The Idea Friendly Method in action. It’s a how-to book that has you actually cheering for the smart, creative people who skipped the bureaucracy, went right for getting their ideas out there, and made a big difference in their community.
When Elvis sang “A little less conversation, a little more conversation, please” this is what he was talking about.
When Elvis sang “A little less conversation, a little more conversation, please” this is what he was talking about.
Displaying 1 of 1 review